****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 3, Number 33 July 14, 1994 In this issue: (148 lines) GPO APPROPRIATIONS PASSED LC APPROPRIATIONS PASSED HOUSE PASSES FY 1995 LABOR, HHS, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS: LIBRARY PROGRAM INCREASE OF 1 MILLION *************************************************************************** GPO APPROPRIATIONS PASSED Congress approved funds for depository library access to the GPO Access system when the conference report (H. Rept. 103-567) was adopted on H.R. 4454, the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for FY 1995. The House agreed to the conference report on June 29 (see _Congressional Record_, pp. H5411-7), and the Senate on June 30 (see _Congressional Record_, pp. S8048), clearing the bill for the President's signature. The conference report accepted the $32,207,000 approved by the Senate for the Superintendent of Documents Salaries and Expenses appropriation, thus restoring the $1.5 million cut on the House floor in May (see ALAWON Vol. 3 No. 29). The comparable figure for FY 1994 SuDocs appropriation was $29,082,000. However, the conferees restored House language stricken by the Senate "which provides that the objectives of the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 shall be carried out through cost savings." GPO was directed to submit in its fiscal year 1996 budget a description of program cost savings attributed to the funding of activities authorized by the GPO Access Act. Congress denied funding the Public Printer had requested for distribution of paper copies of the U.S. Code to depositories, directing instead that such distribution be performed in CD-ROM. At the same time, conference report language was added to permit the distribution of paper copies out of existing funding to ease the transition to the electronic version of this important document. Additionally, the conferees agreed to include the term "duplicating" in the definition of printing for procurement purposes. This will require agencies to use GPO, outside of limited exceptions, when procuring publications produced by duplicating processes, and will thereby help reduce the incidence of fugitive documents. Report language addressed the fugitive document problem. On the issue of distribution of copies of documents to the depository libraries, the Senate amendment was designed to reduce the "fugitive document" problem. But it does that by more or less restating current law. The conferees believe that the problem is not the law--the problem is enforcement. The Government Printing Office and the Joint Committee on Printing are in an ideal situation to help enforcement. GPO has a nationwide structure of procurement offices and printing plants. The Joint Committee on Printing has extensive connections with private printers, Federal printing executives, and the depositories. Instead of restating current law, JCP and GPO should be using their resources to ferret out the agencies and documents which are escaping the requirements of the depository law. THANKS NEEDED: Senators and Representatives responded positively when library supporters asked them to protect public access to government information by funding the GPO Access Act and adding "duplicating" to the definition of printing. Please thank them for their support. *************************************************************************** LC APPROPRIATIONS PASSED On June 30, when Congress completed action on the conference report (H.Rept. 103-567) on H.R. 4454, Legislative Branch Appropriations for FY 1995, it approved a 5.44 percent increase in the Library of Congress budget, or a net appropriation of $323,200,000. In addition to this total, LC has authority to retain $25,280,000 in receipts. Included in the FY 1995 appropriation for the Library is $202,295,000 for LC Salaries and Expenses; $10,045,000 for the Copyright Office; $44,951,000 for books for the blind and physically handicapped; $5,825,000 for furniture and furnishings; and $60,084,000 for the Congressional Research Service. The bill awaits the President's signature. Librarian of Congress James Billington had requested a total of $358,000,000, or a 7.9 percent increase, to keep up with expected mandatory pay increases and price level changes. Some 395 LC positions have been cut since 1992, due to a loss of funding. *************************************************************************** HOUSE PASSES FY 1995 LABOR, HHS, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS: LIBRARY PROGRAM INCREASE OF 1 MILLION On June 28, during House debate on H.R. 4606, the FY 1995 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, an amendment was offered by Rep. Bill Baker (R-CA) to add $1 million to library programs by cutting the Department of Education administrative budget. During debate on the amendment (see _Congressional Record_, pp. H5298-5300 and H5307), Representative Baker said, "The library budget has been cut some $37 million. In other words, we are reinventing government this year. Bureaucracy is in, libraries are out." Citing the growth in the Department of Education administrative budget at 14 percent in FY 1994 as justification for the cut, Baker said "Libraries are important to every community. They are important to our children." When the Chairman of the appropriations subcommittee, Rep. Neal Smith (D-IA), argued that the library programs were being treated like the average in the bill, 96.5 percent of current services, Baker responded that a $37 million dollar cut was not 96 percent. Rep. Hutchinson (R-AR) said: "Federal support for local libraries continues to fall. Federal support for local libraries works out to about 57 cents per person in the United States, or about the cost of a small ballpoint pen or a cup of coffee. For that very small investment, we generate enormous returns in providing for our constituents a wealth of information resources." Rep. John Linder (R-GA) cited the "hundreds of stories or thousands of stories of people who have learned what they have learned in the libraries." He said Eric Hoffer, author and philosopher from California, continued his schooling after fifth grade at the library. Baker mentioned the literacy programs run at libraries in California and said "It is not too much to ask for $1 million for the libraries." The amendment passed by a vote of 319-109. Final passage on H.R. 4606 occurred on June 29. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363. Editor: Lee G. Enyart (lge@alawash.org). ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (Internet). Back issues and other documents are available from the list server. 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